Standing travel on AVE trains: the proposal shaking the Spanish market

The Government is considering tickets without seats for AVE trains. The measure seeks to lower prices and fill empty seats. Renfe supports testing it on short journeys. Safety and comfort are under debate. Will it arrive in Spain soon?

The Ministry of Transport is considering an unprecedented measure in Spain: allowing the sale of train tickets without an assigned seat on AVE and Long Distance services. The proposal, promoted by minister Óscar Puente, aims to offer lower fares and increase occupancy on short journeys, following the model of other European countries.

At present, it is mandatory in Spain to reserve a seat even on high-speed trains, unlike Germany or Italy, where travellers can board the train and sit down only if there are free seats. The minister says this approach would help reduce the number of empty seats caused by so-called “ghost reservations”, that is, tickets purchased with season tickets or promotions that are ultimately not used.

The initiative, however, raises questions about safety and insurance cover, since protocols would need to be adapted for standing passengers in the event of sudden braking or evacuations. Consumer associations also warn that the travel experience could deteriorate, especially on trains with high occupancy and bulky luggage.

The Government has not yet set a date or specified which lines would test this system. Transport insists that it is an idea at the study stage, which would require changes to railway regulations and the terms of compulsory insurance. It also remains to be defined what will be considered a “short journey”, a key aspect for the measure's social acceptance.

In the current context of fierce competition and tickets from €7, pressure to find new formulas that make it possible to lower prices without compromising revenue is at its highest. The sale of tickets without seats could become the next major innovation in the Spanish railway sector, a hybrid between the traditional AVE and the European low-cost model.